Shaolin Monks visit to Barbados & A Bajan’s Visit to a Shaolin Monastery

by DevilsAdvocate / August 8th, 2013

The Barbados China Friendship Association (BCFA) is proud to be a major sponsor of the visiting delegation of Shaolin Monks visiting Barbados from People Republic of China. The Shaolin Temple monks from Dengeng village, Zhengzhou city in Henan province in China will be performing in Barbados on Saturday August 10th at the Sir Garfield Sobers Sports Complex.

SHAOLIN TEMPLE

Shaolin temple was founded in the fifth century, the monastery is long famous for its association with Chinese martial arts and particularly with Shaolin Kung Fu, and it is the best known Mahayana Buddhist monastery to the Western world.

EARLY HISTORY AND MARTIAL ARTS IN THE TEMPLE

In early martial history, the first Shaolin Monastery abbot was Batuo (also called Fotuo or Buddhabhadra) a martial arts and spiritual master who came to China from India in 464 AD to spread Buddhist teachings. A nick name was the burnt faced monk.

The venerable monk Bodhidharma went from India to China to spread Buddhism. In 527 CE, he settled down in the Northern Shaolin monastery in Henan province, and inspired the development of Shaolin Kung Fu and Qigong. Bodhidharma is traditionally said by Buddhists to have meditated at the temple and then taught the monks to strengthen their bodies with the use of Qigong. The most popular qigong exercise set attributed to Bodhidharma was the Sinews Changing Classic

Over time, the Shaolin monastery has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. Perhaps the best-known story of the destruction of the Southern Shaolin Temple in Fujian province by the Qing government in 1641 for their support of the previous Ming government and supposed anti Qing activities. This effectively destroyed the temple’s fighting force. However, this destruction helped spread Shaolin martial arts through China by means of the five fugitive monks.

As the Chairman of the Barbados China Friendship Association and a practicing martial artist, I had the pleasure to spend some time in China in which I took advantage of the opportunity to visit the Northern Shaolin Temple on several occasions and train at Shaolin temple. While at the temple, I was happy to see in the furthermost part of the temple, a mural painting in the temple (early 19th century) depicted the integration of African, Indian and Chinese monks practicing kung fu together.

I was treated with the utmost respect for having a vast knowledge of Chinese and in specific monastery culture and philosophy that guide their everyday lives. The shaolin monks company was most enjoyable and it was great see how they were so disciplined that they did not eat meat or drink alcohol.